Atthesametime,teachersimmenselyinfluencebothstudents’learningandpersonaldevelopment.Students’relationshipswiththeirteachersaretwo-fold:ontheprofessionallevel(addressingteacher’srole-identity),teachersareimportantforcultivatinginterest,curiosity,andmotivation(e.g.,Birch&Ladd,1996,1997;Raufelder,Druryetal.,2013),providinglearningsupport(Pianta,Hamre,&Stuhlman,2003;Raufelder,&Mohr,2011),andofferingfeedbackonacademicperformance(Becker&Luthar,2002;Piantaetal.,2003;Radel,Sarrazin,Legrain,&Wild,2010).Onthe(inter)personallevel(addressingteachers’andstudents’being),teacherscommunicatetheirapprovalordisapprovalforthestudentasaperson(Birch&Ladd,1996)whichcanaffectstudents’senseofidentity

As opposed to traditional writing, when students construct online content they are asked to design multimodal representations of their work product, which convey not only the knowledge they learned during the work process, but also reflective of the conventions and critiques of the genre of the online information space they used in the design

OCC was developed to define the abilities necessary to communicate the information assembled while searching, sift-ing, and synthesizing knowledge gained during the online inquiry process

277Online Content ConstructionOnline Content Construction (OCC) is necessary. OCC is defined as the skills, strategies and dispo-sitions necessary as students construct, redesign, or reinvent online texts by actively encoding and decoding meaning through the use of digital texts and tools

If your students are like mine, most of them are doing the majority of their research online. And, if yours are like mine, they could use a little help. I’ve found that my students appreciate being introduced to tools that help them manage and organize the information that they’re finding.

What specific literacy knowledge and skills do our students need to create this text,  in this context? What prior knowledge and experience, do students have? What is the purpose of the text? Who is it for? What is the content? From this basis, we can then design teaching and learning activities to develop these specific literacy outcomes.

Construction also brings in the role of groups of learners in the process of learning and as a result includes elements of social and cognitive constructivism. Learners are encouraged to be creative as they build and revise content.

identifying construction as opposed to creation is also of the utmost importance. Creation can be viewed simply as the act of producing, or causing to exist.  Construction is the building or assembling of an infrastructure. Construction is equal parts inspiration and perspiration. Construction calls on creativity as well as persistence, flexibility, and revision. Construction asks our students and teachers to focus on the power and patience employed during work process…and not just the final resultant work product.

creativity, composition, and design skills students need…we have been developing online content construction (OCC)

We remix language every time we draw on it, and we remix meanings every time we take an idea or an artefact or a word and integrate it into what we are saying and doing at the time. At a more specific level we now have digital remix enabled by computers. This includes, but goes far beyond simply mixing music. It involves mixing digital images, texts, sounds and animation; in short, all manner of found artefacts.

a very general level all of culture can be understood in terms of remix, where someone creates a cultural product by mixing meaningful elements together (e.g., ideas from different people with ideas of one’s own), and then someone else comes along and remixes this cultural artefact with others to create yet another artefact.

By “remix” we mean the practice of taking cultural artefacts and combining and manipulating them into a new kind of creative blend.

Starting from the traditional view which focused on the printed form of a text

Additional reading skills and strategies are required to generate effective keyword search strategie

Critically evaluating online information includes the ability to read and evaluate the level of accuracy, reliability, and bias of information

One of the most consistent patterns in reading research is the finding that the prior knowl-edge we bring to a text profoundly shapes our interpretation.

This phase involves students in a larger project based on their own interests and learning from the two earlier stages.

Mini-lessons by teachers in this stage also allow for the nurturing of the guided discovery process.

we need to take a closer look at what online reading is all about and think about how we can help our students not only navigate with comprehension but also understand the underlying structure of this world.

The Internet Inquiry Project is an online research project that helps students develop the important digital knowledge and skills needed as they build their web literacies.

As with all verbal communication with young children, nonver-bal communication is successful only if the people involved in the interaction are engaged in eye contact and shared reference.

Pointing gestures are used to indicate or draw attention to an object or entity, while reaching gestures are associated with requests

It is important to remember that during these toddler years, a child's language environment continues to influence her development of language knowledge.

Children's speech during the toddler years is characterized by longer utterances and utterances with specific syntactic features.

t is important for teachers and parents to realize that although children's speech production is lim-ited, comprehension of others' speech is much higher.

turn taking, eye contact/shared reference, and verbal mapping.

Concept labels (i.e .• words) and schemata are culture and language specific .

This pairing between a word and its referent has also been described as a mapping of the language onto the object or specific meaning

As children process this information cognitively, they develop ways of categorizing these stimuli into abstract conceptual group-ings, or schemata.

infant's parents and caregivers interpret and respond lo the infant's crying

this may affect a child's ability to recognize and distinguish between phonological charac-teristics essential for learning to speak and understand language

Early childhood teachers and caregivers need to be aware of the characteristics and significance of this illness so that they may assist parents in safeguarding the health and development of young children.

picture book sharing stimulates auditory perception and phonological awareness related to spoken and written language

Selective reinforcement occurs whon children are encour-aged lo produce and ropoal the sounds that are appropriate and necessary for their home language,

In acquiring language, an infanl musl first begin to "sort 0111" tho spooch sounds lha1 arc usocl by othors in his nnvironmont

it is important to keep in mind that each aspect of language knowledge does not develop in isolation from,the other four aspects; instead, their development is interrelated.

An important factor in early social interac-tions is the responsiveness of adults lo an infant's behaviors

Receptive language develops first and pro-vides a basis for later expressive language.

Infants' continued parlicipation in eye conlacl/shared reference and commu-nication loops is crilical lo Inter language development and social interaction.

within this social envi-ronment that language development begins.

The approach that I think is more effective with teachers is: “you’re trying to do Y- and here’s how X can make you more efficient or effective (through increased access, better organization, more automation, etc.)”. That way, the focus for professional development starts with good teaching practices- rather than starting with the tool.

this approach not only isolates the tool from instruction, but it also seems to suggest that teachers are using lower level teaching strategies before using “technology”

TPACK looks at the collaboration between technology, pedagogy, and content and argues that teachers need knowledge of all three. I agree with this statement, but I don’t agree with how this framework is presented. Take a look at the graphic to the right- it shows all three concepts represented in circles of equal size. I think this sends the wrong message; knowledge of content is less important than knowledge of pedagogy (even more so now because of how accessible information is) and there is even evidence that shows that too much knowledge of content can actually lessen a teacher’s ability to properly scaffold learning for students. Same goes for technology- it doesn’t deserve equal weight for the knowledge a teacher needs.

a three-stage "backward planning" curriculum design process anchored by a unit design template a set of design standards with attendant rubrics and a comprehensive training package to help teachers design, edit, critique, peer- review, share, and improve their lessons and assessments

UbD™ works within the standards-driven curriculum to help teachers clarify learning goals, devise revealing assessments of student understanding, and craft effective and engaging learning activities.

"They're learning to be more proactive; they're learning how to depend on their peers. When they go off to college, they already know how to work with people and draw out their strengths."

In English classes, students are encouraged to share and to listen to each other's individual interpretations of the text, underscoring the notion that there can be multiple right answers

they have to focus on the mathematical process and not just the “right answer.”

teachers must be willing to “cede the floor” to the students. Other things to consider are the need to create an effective classroom geography, focus on the process, build accountability, let students teach one another, and encourage students to be in tune with one another.

Researchers have determined that technology integration typically moves through specific levels. The higher the level of an activity the greater the educational benefit.

The key to successful technology integration is the efficient use of digital tools tools that are appropriate for the task.  Technology provides us all with the ability to develop our own toolkit of flexible resources for use when needed.

The key to successful technology integration is the efficient use of digital tools tools that are appropriate for the task

Technological pedagogical content knowledge is an understanding that emerges from interactions among content, pedagogy, and technology knowledge.

TPK requires a forward-looking, creative, and open-minded seeking of technology use, not for its own sake but for the sake of advancing student learning and understanding.

Teachers need to understand which specific technologies are best suited for addressing subject-matter learning in their domains and how the content dictates or perhaps even changes the technology—or vice versa.

Acquiring TK in this manner enables a person to accomplish a variety of different tasks using information technology and to develop different ways of accomplishing a given task.

PCK is consistent with and similar to Shulman’s idea of knowledge of pedagogy that is applicable to the teaching of specific content.

Pedagogical knowledge (PK) is teachers’ deep knowledge about the processes and practices or methods of teaching and learning.

Knowledge and the nature of inquiry differ greatly between fields, and teachers should understand the deeper knowledge fundamentals of the disciplines in which they teach.

there are three main components of teachers’ knowledge: content, pedagogy, and technology. Equally important to the model are the interactions between and among these bodies of knowledge,

There is no “one best way” to integrate technology into curriculum.

not surprising that they do not consider themselves sufficiently prepared to use technology in the classroom and often do not appreciate its value or relevance to teaching and learning.

Over time, these technologies achieve a transparency of perception (Bruce & Hogan, 1998); they become commonplace and, in most cases, are not even considered to be technologies.

effective teaching depends on flexible access to rich, well-organized and integrated knowledge from different domains

The TPACK framework for teacher knowledge is described in detail, as a complex interaction among three bodies of knowledge: Content, pedagogy, and technology. The interaction of these bodies of knowledge, both theoretically and in practice, produces the types of flexible knowledge needed to successfully integrate technology use into teaching.

teacher knowledge for technology integration called technological pedagogical content knowledge

Traditional education is failing to engage many students as they enter their middle school, high school, and college years.

Young people learn best when actively engaged, creating, and solving problems they care about, and supported by peers who appreciate and recognize their accomplishments.

In academic settings, language is used in specific ways for specific purposes. This register of language is referred to in English-speaking settings as academic English.

t is important for teachers to recognize and value the home language or dialect of each child in their classrooms.

Dialects devolop in settings where a group of people com-nrnnicato within their group moro froquontly and for a longer period of lime than they do with outside groups.

When a pidgin is creolized, linguistic features of the language are expanded, especially with respect to grammar-syntax, vocabulary-semantics, and function-style-pragmatics.

Differences in language use were attributed to the complex family culture-not simply to socioeconomic status or ethnic group identity.

In recognizing the varied ways in which language is used in different settings and speech communities, there has also been an acknowledgment that people tan develop linguistic flexibility that allows them to communicate effectively in differ· ant settings, using different dialects and communication styles

Cultural differences have also been noted in the ways in which language is used pragmatically. In U.S. culture, new skills are typically taught and learned through verbal instruction {Slobin, 1979) or through silent observation. A distinction has also been made betwe-en cultures that encourage independent learning and those that encourage cooperative learning

Language and culturo are intorlwinocl in a complex way. Tho system of symbols prosont in a language and tho way in which a language is usocl lo communicate have uniquo foalurcs for nach particular cull urn or subculture.

You need to differentiate the learning environment because some students learn better on their own, and others learn better in a team

Another essential component of PBL is student voice and choice, both in terms of what students produce and how they use their time.

Throughout the project, students should be reflecting on their work and setting goals for further learning.

Sometimes in a novel- or literature-based PBL project, it might be appropriate to differentiate by grouping into reading level.

it is student-centered, student-driven, and gives space for teachers to meet the needs of students in a variety of ways.

With clearly identified results (enduring understandings) and appropriate evidence of understanding in mind, educators can now plan instructional activities.

Given its focus on understanding, our unit or course will be anchored by performance tasks or projects—these provide evidence that students are able to use their knowledge in context, a more appropriate means of evoking and assessing enduring understanding.

The backward design approach encourages us to think about a unit or course in terms of the collected assessment evidence needed to document and validate that the desired learning has been achieved, so that the course is not just content to be covered or a series of learning activities

The smallest ring represents finer-grain choices—selecting the "enduring" understandings that will anchor the unit or course.

It specifies the prerequisite knowledge and skills needed by students for them to successfully accomplish key performances

Without a focus on linchpin ideas that have lasting value, students may be left with easily forgotten fragments of knowledge.

In this first stage, we consider our goals, examine established content standards (national, state, and district), and review curriculum expectations.

Greater coherence among desired results, key performances, and teaching and learning experiences leads to better student performance—the purpose of design.

backward design calls for us to operationalize our goals or standards in terms of assessment evidence as we begin to plan a unit or course.

We are advocating the reverse: One starts with the end—the desired results (goals or standards)—and then derives the curriculum from the evidence of learning (performances) called for by the standard and the teaching needed to equip students to perform.

In Stage 3 of backward design, teachers plan the most appropriate lessons and learning activities to address the three different types of goals identified in Stage 1: transfer, meaning making, and acquisition (T, M, and A).

we consider in advance the assessment evidence needed to document and validate that the targeted learning has been achieved.

Essential companion questions are used to engage learners in thoughtful “meaning making” to help them develop and deepen their understanding of important ideas and processes that support such transfer.

In the first stage of backward design, we consider our goals, examine established content standards (national, state, prov-ince, and district), and review curriculum expectations.

These 21C Skills span across sectors and domain areas and are critical in a variety of jobs and higher education, and for success in life

The 21C Skills, combined with the web literacy skills, are the nexus for entry-level digital-age skills. They are a set of abilities such as problem-solving, creativity, collaboration, or communication that people need to develop in order to succeed in the information age.

we need to provide people with open access to the skills and know-how needed to use the web to improve their lives, careers, and organizations.

extended process of inquiry, critique, and revision.

Schoolwork is more meaningful when it's not done only for the teacher or the test. When students present their work to a real audience, they care more about its quality.

In addition to providing direct feedback, the teacher should coach students in using rubrics or other sets of criteria to critique one another's work.

In real inquiry, students follow a trail that begins with their own questions, leads to a search for resources and the discovery of answers, and often ultimately leads to generating new questions, testing ideas, and drawing their own conclusions.

A project should give students opportunities to build such 21st century skills as collaboration, communication, critical thinking, and the use of technology, which will serve them well in the workplace and life.

In terms of making a project feel meaningful to students, the more voice and choice, the better.

A project without a driving question is like an essay without a thesis.

announcing a project by distributing a packet of papers is likely to turn students off; it looks like a prelude to busywork.

Many students find schoolwork meaningless because they don't perceive a need to know what they're being taught.

First, students must perceive the work as personally meaningful, as a task that matters and that they want to do well. Second, a meaningful project fulfills an educational purpose. Well-designed and well-implemented project-based learning is meaningful in both ways.

closes the achievement gap for underserved populations, improves understanding and retention of content, and increases motivation for all students.

Now that technology has made it easy to find any fact in a matter of seconds, the ability to regurgitate information is no longer valued the way it once was.

With project based learning, the content is baked inside of a long-term project, a real-world problem students need to solve in a creative and authentic way.

deliver content to students, give them opportunities to practice or apply what they learned, and eventually conduct a summative assessment

The most effec· live scaffolding promotes the highest level of functioning with the lowest level of support.

This perspective contends that children acquire language through their attempts to communicate with the world around them.

Thus, language is "taught" through situations in which children are encouraged to imilato others' speech and to devolop associations between verbal stimuli (i.e., words) and objects

The nativist and the cognitive dovelopmentalisl perspectives emphasize the contributions of "nature," whereas tho behaviorist and interaclionist perspectives focus more on the contributions of "nurture."

Children's ability to urticulnle and cliscriminato different sounds and words when using language lo communicnle rnprosonts their Ii nguislic Jovel of phonological knowledge. Similarly. childrnn's ability to corn pa ohond tho semantic meanings of others' spoech and to croato their own moan-i ngf ul spooch rnpresenls their linguistic level of semantic knowledge. Tho linguistic lovol or syntactic knowledge is evident us children aro ablo lo express Lhoir icloas in a form thal is grammnlically appropriate Lo their dialect or language. Morphemic knowl· odgo at tho linguistic lovol is ovidonl when a child can use appropriate plural forms of 11m111s or use prefixos and suffixos. Tho linguistic level or pragmatic knowledge is clem-onstratod by a child's use of "ploaso" and "thank you" iu social situations.

Through lan-guage, we represent the world and l.oarn about the world.

 The truth of the matter is that you already have various digital breadcrumbs that already exist from the residue you leave online as you live your life.

Avatar in this context primarily comes from business or marketing and refers to an ideal client or targeted audience.

there are opportunities to create different identities in different places, and share more in one space that you would another.

The key point is that you can create any identity you so choose.

you’ll have to consider how public you’ll want to be online.

describes actively framing, curating, sharing, and directing your own engagement streams throughout the learning environment. This means that you take control of the various parts of your digital identity and shape the digital identity that you want.

The end result is an identity spread across numerous digital spaces that is often incomplete.

Our online and offline interactions are woven together into a narrative that forms different parts of our identity.

I believe that by keeping your design choices consistent across multiple spaces, you create a sense of professionalism and polish in your presented materials.

Select images, photos, images, and colors that represent the identity you would like to use as your digital identity.

This means that you develop and direct the information streams that individuals use to interact with you online.

PBL raises students self-esteem by beginningthe cycle of success

Children re-tainmoreinformationwhentheylearnbydoing.

Research sup-ports that students using PBL perform better on bothstandardized assessments and project tests than stu-dentsintraditionaldirectinstructionprograms,andthatthey learn not only real-world application of skills, butalso analytic thinking

Scaffolded instructionoccurs in PBL when teachers use organizers that aid stu-dents in bridging the gaps that exists in knowledge andskill, and it makes the tasks manageable and achievable.

Childrenlearn so much about themselves when they are empow-ered to make their own learning decisions.

Consistent employment and prac-tice of these skills will strengthen them over time andlead to proficiency and mastery.

Accountability to peers often has greaterconsequences and provides more motivation for stu-dents than if they were only responsible to the teacher.

Furthermore, these students demonstrateda solid grasp of the concepts and were able to performwell on traditional tests

standardized testing does not measure criti-cal twenty-first-century skills that are integral for studentsuccess.

The outcome ofPBL is greater understanding of a topic, deeper learning,higher-level reading, and increased motivation to learn.